We were going to say that after a one-week absence (during which they released a spectacular pre-recorded episode with a special guest), your friends in podcasting come out with guns blazing … And then, as they were getting set to record, ANOTHER mass shooting in the USA occurred. Dean and Phil address the event and get into a seriously fascinating conversation about rage and despair and about how people can obtain the tools necessary to explore these bedrock emotions without being taken by them. Then, in the return of “Live Events of the Week”, Tchaikovsky and a non-binary gender identifying performer are celebrated, and Dean discusses his “Down Under Bucket List”, including scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef (a list item he has checked off, thank you very much!). Romantic comedies and diversity both get discussed in the wake of Crazy Rich Asians‘ box office success (and surprisingly decent reviews) and the documentary profile Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda gets recommended. Finally, the Chillpak Morgue is opened for “Celebrity Deaths” where the lives, accomplishments and lasting impacts of a true American hero, a giant of international diplomacy, the Oscar-nominated actress who founded modern improv, the journalist who coined the phrase “champagne wishes and caviar dreams” and the Queen of Soul are all remembered. All that AND Phil finally learns the usage of modern-day pronouns!

Mattie Giles is a Detroit-based film and television critic who has appeared on YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour in the past. On this week’s show, he Skypes in with your friends in podcasting for a full hour of hilarious, free-wheeling conversation covering such topics as the film scene in Detroit, Detroit barbecue, the TV show “The Detroiters” and more things Detroit in anticipation of Dean’s moving there this fall. The talk also turns to recent movies, and one classic film as well, the TV shows Mattie has been reviewing, “The X-Files”, depression and more. All in all, it’s a truly entertaining hour!

This week’s episode of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour is a lot of fun. A hockey great and a beloved 80’s sitcom star get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”. The news concerning the real-life “Brady Bunch” house in Studio City and major changes to the Oscars telecast get reported and dissected. A recent hit-man thriller, a current, hilarious and suspenseful indie comedy-drama, a classic 1970 comedy war film and a current Lionsgate “digital” release starring Guy Pearce and Pierce Brosnan all get discussed. All that, plus there is on-air planning of Phil’s upcoming bachelor party!

This week’s installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour comes at you a little bit later than we like, though it’s definitely worth the wait and boasts almost 15% more “hour”! During their intercontinental connection, your friends in podcasting discuss Dean’s trip to Melbourne, where he hosted Melbourne WebFest, an award show honoring the best in web series. Finally, at long last, Dean also talks about his work (as Iago!) on the award-winning web series “Shakespeare Republic”. After that, it’s time for “Celebrity Deaths” where a noted futurist and a music family patriarch are remembered. There is some more feedback on their “Top Ten Comedies of All Time” episodes, Phil asks Dean about the 1930’s comedy team of Wheeler & Woolsey. Then Phil sings the praises of HBO’s “Westworld”, which leads to he and Dean waxing rhapsodic about the brilliance of Jeffrey Wright, before they turn their attention to movies. Kingsman: The Golden CircleOcean’s 8Won’t You Be My NeighborFirst ReformedUpgrade, and Hereditary all get (spoiler free) reviewed and discussed.

After a special 2-part “Top Ten” show counting down the all-time great comedy movies, your friends in podcasting are back with a wide array of topics to discuss. Dean recounts his New Zealand adventures and previews his forthcoming trip to the USA. He and Phil celebrate the lives of the cat-loving gorilla with the huge vocabulary, the original Bond girl, and the celebrity chef who finds himself the subject of a conspiracy theory. Two emails from a loyal listener concerning the aforementioned “Top Ten” shows lead to a couple of great filmmaking stories and the discussion of another all-time great comedy film. Dean and Phil’s former collaborator, Chris Hardwick, has found himself in #MeToo hot water, and because they have been asked about it, Dean and Phil discuss it. There is a lot of “Star Trek” news to discuss, a slew of Netflix Marvel shows to review, as well as a popular HBO drama series based on an Australian-set novel to analyze. All that AND several recent cinematic releases get reviewed, including SoloThe Incredibles 2 and Isle of Dogs.

Your friends in podcasting had planned this week’s podcast to be part 1 of a special 2-part Top Ten show and then … real life cropped up! So, instead, in what proves to be a personal and heartfelt show, Dean and Phil discuss the “Roseanne” controversy, and Phil’s personal connection to one of the key players in the spotlight. In “Celebrity Deaths”, a profoundly influential voice in the New York indie rock scene of the late 90’s will be remembered (another death which which Phil has a personal connection). An amazing update on Phil’s beloved feline Fuzz Aldrin leads into a terrifying account on the plight and population of stray cats in Los Angeles. Two very different, and fascinating films get discussed: a documentary about a Supreme Court Justice, and a grindhouse-style prison drama starring Vince Vaughn. All that, plus some serious laughs on YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour.

Back on schedule, your friends in podcasting offer up a fun grab bag of audio goodness this week … Dean reports on “Ironfest” and discusses his future “X-Files” convention appearances. Lily Holleman reports live from a film festival in Miami where she is attending the screening of a movie in which she co-stars. Phil is in Los Angeles, of course, where he discusses the revival of the Los Angeles Breakfast Club, a truly bizarre cop film from the 1970’s, and a recent epic movie about a real-life explorer. All that plus Dean and Phil remember both a country music great and a beloved (diminutive) cinematic sidekick.

This week’s show is an interesting one that your friends in podcasting recorded together in Los Angeles. It starts with Dean describing two “Live Events of the Week” – a production of Something Rotten! and the debut Maurice and Paul Marciano Art Foundation exhibit at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center on Wilshire – and Phil describing the truly horrible Office Christmas Party and the terrific The Trip to Spain. The show continues with Dean’s interview of one of the creative souls behind “The X-Files: Deep State” game. Then, Dean and Phil roll up their sleeves to figure out what’s right with “Star Trek: Discovery”, what’s wrong with it, and why viewers seem to hate it so much! All that plus a legendary broadcaster and a peerless singer are remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”. The first episode of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour in 2018, wherever good podcasts can be found!

Your friends in podcasting discuss one of the most sad Christmas celebrations in history, before discussing the deaths of a pop music star, a Native American character actor, a documentary filmmaker and the mayor of SF. Then, Phil turns his attention to one of the most surprising facts to come out of the Disney purchase of 21st Century Fox and Dean tries to calm him down. Then, they delve into the trouble engulfing Matt Damon, before weighing in on three brand new Oscar hopefuls: Downsizing (starring Mr. Damon), Phantom Thread (starring Daniel Day Lewis in his final role), and the rather miraculous All The Money In The World. All that, plus Kyle Machlachlan weighs in on whether “Twin Peaks: The Return” was a terrific season of a television series or whether it was one of the best feature films of the year, and a fantastic note from a loyal listener like you (yes, YOU!) is shared.

In many ways, this week’s show is a sequel to last week’s episode #534, with the promised celebration of Jeanne Moreau’s life and career, an email from a listener about Tom Jones’ “The Young New Mexican Puppeteer” and more from the British Film Institute List of “the 50 films you should see by the age of 14”.

Unlike most sequels, however, this show is even more irreverent, insightful and informative than last week’s!

The festivities commence with a clip of Dean on Australian television telling a (bestiality?) joke, and then after a special opening (a tribute to Glen Campbell), Dean comes out guns blazing, ranting about the internet speeds of his adopted land. After Phil calms him down, they discuss the news of David Letterman’s new show, they urge people to save the Salem Cinema (a jewel of the Pacific Northwest), they talk about an interview they did with the late Jim Marrs and they continue their discussion about the “death of discernment”, this time focusing on an appalling memo crafted by a then member of the National Security Council.

 

From there, it’s onto “Celebrity Deaths”, where, in addition to the Femme Fatale of the French New Wave and Glen Campbell, your friends in podcasting remember a Tony-winning star of Broadway’s “The Music Man”, the star of an early television western series turned right-wing anti-government activist, and the man inside the Godzilla costume.

Finally, Dean and Phil discuss a 1982 Australian western, a 1954 western that influenced the likes of Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah, the original King Kong, and the Will Rogers comedy Life Begins at 40.